


Between Life and Death

by jilloreilly



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Death, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everything Hurts, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, How Do I Tag, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, I Made Myself Cry, I Tried, I love him, I'm Bad At Titles, babie, henry loves his son, not actually dead, radar needs a hug, radar needs so much love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-16 19:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21276308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jilloreilly/pseuds/jilloreilly
Summary: OKAY. Some important stuff:I got the inspo for this short little fic from a longer INCREDIBLE fic called "Stuck In Between" by Agent H.E.R.O on fanfiction.net. I loved this scene, so this is a little continuation. All idea creds go to original author. If you enjoy this, make sure you go read it.Some context (for my story, not  Agent H.E.R.O's):Radar is severely injured. As he battles between life and death on the operating table, he is reunited with an old friend.Will it be too much for him to walk away from, or will he find his way back to the 4077th?It's implied that this is soon enough after Henry's death that Radar is not yet comfortable around Potter, i.e still feeling quite lost without Blake.





	Between Life and Death

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this quickly today, just as a small lil thing. I'm having some writer's block on the next chapter of "Walter", but this is by NO MEANS me giving up on that fic. I'm still continuing "Walter," I swear!!!! The next chapter just might take a few more days (if you haven't read it, you oughta go do so :) ) 
> 
> Enjoy the angst!

_Radar hugged his knees into his chest, tears blurring his vision._

_ “C’mon, Corporal, don’t cry now. You won’t stay here long.” Henry’s soft, comforting voice whispered gently into Radar’s ear. _

_“I...I won’t? Why not?” _

_“Aw, Radar,” Henry chuckled sadly, “you don’t belong here. Not yet. It’s not time for that yet.” _

_Radar chewed his bottom lip, a single tear rolling down his round cheek. Henry’s kind eyes, oh, those eyes he’d missed SO much, were swimming with the warmth he’d known so well. He didn’t want to leave them. He didn’t want to go back. _

_Radar’s chin was quivering. His father hadn’t been around long enough to ever really become a ‘dad—‘ then, Henry had come along and filled the hole Radar had kept in his heart since childhood. When Henry...well, left, too, Radar was sure it would break him. And now… _

_“I...I...I don’t wanna go! Ple-ease don’t make me go.” Radar hiccuped. He was finding it awful hard not to cry right now. _

_“Nobody can make you go, kiddo. But…it’s not time yet. You don’t wanna be here yet. Go. Go live your life.” _

_“But, Sir…” Radar sniffled, “I...I need you to come back. Can’t you come back with me?! I don’t know how to do this without you!” _

_“Corporal, no! No, no, no, listen to me, you’re going to be JUST fine. Just fine. You hear me?” Henry cupped Radar’s doe-eyed face. “Now, I can’t come with you, but I _can_ make you a deal, okay?” _

_Radar’s wide-eyed expression turned even more heartbreakingly genuine. "_ _A...A deal?” _

_“You go back now,” Henry smiled kindly, “and when it _is_ time, I’ll be waiting here, and we’ll have a drink and do a little fishing, and catch up on what we missed, and pick up right where we left off, okay? It’ll be like I was never gone.” _

_“P-Promise?” Radar whispered, eyes squeezed tightly closed. _

_“Promise.” Henry rubbed Radar’s back soothingly. _

_The young clerk refused to open his eyes. He was afraid he might start crying if he did. _

_“_ _Okay.” He squeaked almost inaudibly. _

_“Attaboy.” Henry smiled sadly. He really _had_ missed that little, painfully sincere face. Radar felt the older colonel’s arms encircle him. He let himself fall completely limp in Colonel Blake’s hold. Henry laid Radar across his lap, cradling him as the corporal took a deep shuddering breath, letting his head rest on Henry’s shoulder. _

_“Goodbye, Radar. I’ll see you later.” Radar finally let a small sob escape his throat. Henry’s hands pressed against Radar’s wrist, where a pulse should have been. _

_He managed to choke out a tearful “b-bye, Sir” as his pulse began to pound steadily. Slowly but surely, he felt the comfort of Henry Blake’s presence leave him. Henry’s sad eyes seemed to take the longest to fade. _

_Radar bit his lip until he tasted blood. He tried to reach out a hand, maybe call for him, but before he could take a breath, he was met with a cool silent darkness before waking up groggily on a cold, lumpy bed in the familiar bustling Post-OP. _

Mash 4077th. He was back.


End file.
